Homeopathy

Three basic rules govern homeopathic practice.

1. A medicine is chosen that is capable of causing symptoms in a healthy person similar to those occurring in the disease process (the law of similars).

2. The medicine should be prescribed in the least possible quantity necessary to evoke a cure (the law of the minimum dose).

3. Each case is treated differently from every other, and the character of the whole person is taken into account (the totality of symptoms).

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that uses remedies made from natural substances to treat illness. The medicines work by providing a powerful stimulus to the healing mechanisms of the body. They encourage the body to heal rather than merely suppressing symptoms. Through this process homeopathic treatment strengthens the body and acts preventively as well as curatively. The goal is to relieve symptoms permanently so that no ongoing treatment is necessary. There are never side effects of homeopathic treatment.

Classical homeopathy was developed two hundred years ago in Germany by a physician named Samuel Hahnemann. Homeopathy was imported to the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, and during the next fifty years it became an extremely popular and well-recognized form of healing. During that time homeopathy evolved into a highly sophisticated medical philosophy.

Although its scope has broadened over the years, the underlying principles of homeopathy have remained unchanged.

In practice, homeopathy is a complex process of analyzing the total constellation of symptoms in an individual and comparing those to the sets of symptoms characteristic of various medicines. The one medicine is chosen which best fits the individual patient, and it is often given in a single dose. The effects of this dose are observed over a period of time determined by the homeopath.

The medicines themselves are prepared from natural substances (plants, minerals, and some animal products), although only one substance is used at a time. They are prepared by homeopathic pharmacies according to strict guidelines established by the FDA. The unique homeopathic preparations of medicines eliminates any toxic aspects of the crude substances, and the same time develops their latent curative power. The medicines have no side effects, yet they are potent agents of healing.